Sylvia Rønning

"Sabyasachi Basu" <[email protected]> skrev i melding
news:[email protected]...
    > In the post you are referring to, I believe I wrote that I would be
    > travelling by the Eurostar on *a* Monday. I guess you thought I was
    > travelling today.
    > The last thing I would do when visiting a new city is spending time
    > online.

- - - - -

Hi Sabya.

Glad to hear that. I had the impression that you were leaving this morning
and have been envious a long time already. To be on the Eurostar bound for
Paris is something one should do more often IMHO.

I wish you all the best for your trip. As you may have been able to deduct
from my postings, I have been working too much in London to really love or
even like that place. The infrastructure [aka The Tube] does not work, and
the locals tendency to stay indoor at all times, and if possible mainly in
the bowels of a pub deep in a basement somewhere, does nothing to add to the
flavour of the place.

That said, a short visit of some days might have its attractions. And do
enjoy Paris. That is the easy part.

Watch out on the rush-hour trains from Earls Court to Waterloo International
Monday morning. If you want to blend in bring a book by Hornby and try to
give the impression that to read in a situation where you all are squeezed
like sardines in a tin-box is the most natural of all human activities on
this planet.

sylvia

The Reids

Following up to Sabyasachi Basu

    >I was reading up about London and came to know that certain
    >restaurants and even some stores like Harrods strictly enforce a dress
    >code. It made me wonder what would be a safe choice of clothes white
    >sightseeing on a weekend. I would hate to miss out on things like the
    >traditional tea in the afternoon because of "inappropriate" dress.

There is very little in the way of enforced dress code. One or
two very stuffy old fashioned places might still require a tie,
just go elsewhere. Harrods dont seem to like torn or dirty
clothes, but I have often shopped there in my everyday slobby
clothes.If you want to blend in a bit with the locals, long
trousers beat shorts. Here are some Londoners at work and in a
street market:-
"http://www.fellwalk.co.uk/thame203x.htm"
"http://www.fellwalk.co.uk/london220.htm"
"http://www.fellwalk.co.uk/borough.htm"

(The man in a "flat hat" is not a Londoner and is wearing to show
he is a genuine northerner)
--
Mike Reid
"Art is the lie that reveals the truth" P.Picasso
Wasdale-Lake district-Thames path-London "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" <-- you can email us@ this site
Eat-walk-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" <-- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

The Reids

Following up to Runge

    >Thats 9 years ago !!
    >Why should one want to dress up to get into a shop ???

Its up to you, they don't like torn clothes, you have the choice.
--
Mike Reid
"Art is the lie that reveals the truth" P.Picasso
Wasdale-Lake district-Thames path-London "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" <-- you can email us@ this site
Eat-walk-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" <-- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

David

"Cathy Kearns" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected] om>...
    > "Owain" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    > > "Sabyasachi Basu" wrote
    > > | I was reading up about London and came to know that certain
    > > | restaurants and even some stores like Harrods strictly
    > > | enforce a dress code.
    > >
    > > Harrods' policy, as far as I can remember, is no topless, no shorts, no
    > > rucksacks. Which is a little hypocritical as they sell shorts and
    > rucksacks.
    >
    > I'm pretty sure they allow shorts. My husband and daughter were
    > wearing shorts last summer (during the "heatwave") and they didn't
    > get a second look. I was during some big sale in June, so maybe they
    > lower their standards.
    >
    > Perhaps it was shirt and shoes required? That is very common
    > in the shopping areas of the US.
    >
    > >
    > > As far as afternoon tea goes, most department store cafes will do a
    > > sandwich/scone/cake/pot-of-tea package - at a lot less than Harrods. Not
    > > quite the same ambience of course, the other stores won't be as mobbed
    > with
    > > tourists :-)
    > >
    > > Owain
    > >
    > >

Why has a thread entitled "Dress Code in London" become "dress code in
Harrods" ? Its pretty low down on my list of places to visit...

In answer to the question, Dress Codes hardly exist in London outside
the rarified atmosphere of private clubs: which tourists are unlikely
to enter in a any case. London is like anywhere else, just dress
appropriately.

Dave

David Horne

David <[email protected]> wrote:

    > "Cathy Kearns" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected] om>...
    > > "Owain" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > > news:[email protected]...
    > > > "Sabyasachi Basu" wrote
    > > > | I was reading up about London and came to know that certain
    > > > | restaurants and even some stores like Harrods strictly
    > > > | enforce a dress code.
    > > >
    > > > Harrods' policy, as far as I can remember, is no topless, no shorts, no
    > > > rucksacks. Which is a little hypocritical as they sell shorts and
    > > rucksacks.
    > >
    > > I'm pretty sure they allow shorts. My husband and daughter were
    > > wearing shorts last summer (during the "heatwave") and they didn't
    > > get a second look. I was during some big sale in June, so maybe they
    > > lower their standards.
    > >
    > > Perhaps it was shirt and shoes required? That is very common
    > > in the shopping areas of the US.
    > >
    > > >
    > > > As far as afternoon tea goes, most department store cafes will do a
    > > > sandwich/scone/cake/pot-of-tea package - at a lot less than Harrods. Not
    > > > quite the same ambience of course, the other stores won't be as mobbed
    > > with
    > > > tourists :-)
    > > >
    > > > Owain
    > > >
    > > >
    >
    > Why has a thread entitled "Dress Code in London" become "dress code in
    > Harrods" ? Its pretty low down on my list of places to visit...
    >
    > In answer to the question, Dress Codes hardly exist in London outside
    > the rarified atmosphere of private clubs: which tourists are unlikely
    > to enter in a any case. London is like anywhere else, just dress
    > appropriately.
    >
    > Dave


--
David Horne- www.davidhorne.net
usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk

Miss L. Toe

"David" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > "Cathy Kearns" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected] om>...
    > > "Owain" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > > news:[email protected]...
    > > > "Sabyasachi Basu" wrote
    > > > | I was reading up about London and came to know that certain
    > > > | restaurants and even some stores like Harrods strictly
    > > > | enforce a dress code.
    > > >
    > > > Harrods' policy, as far as I can remember, is no topless, no shorts,
no
    > > > rucksacks. Which is a little hypocritical as they sell shorts and
    > > rucksacks.
    > >
    > > I'm pretty sure they allow shorts. My husband and daughter were
    > > wearing shorts last summer (during the "heatwave") and they didn't
    > > get a second look. I was during some big sale in June, so maybe they
    > > lower their standards.
    > >
    > > Perhaps it was shirt and shoes required? That is very common
    > > in the shopping areas of the US.
    > >
    > > >
    > > > As far as afternoon tea goes, most department store cafes will do a
    > > > sandwich/scone/cake/pot-of-tea package - at a lot less than Harrods.
Not
    > > > quite the same ambience of course, the other stores won't be as mobbed
    > > with
    > > > tourists :-)
    > > >
    > > > Owain
    > > >
    > > >
    > Why has a thread entitled "Dress Code in London" become "dress code in
    > Harrods" ? Its pretty low down on my list of places to visit...
    > In answer to the question, Dress Codes hardly exist in London outside
    > the rarified atmosphere of private clubs: which tourists are unlikely
    > to enter in a any case. London is like anywhere else, just dress
    > appropriately.

So whats the difference between dress appropiately and dress code ?

David Horne

David <[email protected]> wrote:

[]
    > In answer to the question, Dress Codes hardly exist in London outside
    > the rarified atmosphere of private clubs: which tourists are unlikely
    > to enter in a any case. London is like anywhere else, just dress
    > appropriately.

(sorry about the previous empty post)

It's true that dress codes are quite rare in London, and most tourists
won't encounter them. Recently I did though, at the bar on top of the
Park Lane Hilton. No sneakers- I wasn't wearing any, but someone among
our group was wearing something that _looked_ like sneakers! We did
get in eventually though, and as non-guests of the hotel, had the most
expensive drink ever. Including the cover charge, my first drink (bottle
of Hoegaarden) was £14- the views are nice though...

David

--
David Horne- www.davidhorne.net
usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk

Padraig Breathnach

"Miss L. Toe" <[email protected]> wrote:
    >"David" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    >news:[email protected]...

    >> ... London is like anywhere else, just dress appropriately.
    >So whats the difference between dress appropiately and dress code ?
A dress code is explicit. Appropriate dress is not specified, so you
are less sure of what is acceptable.

--
PB
The return address has been MUNGED

Owain

"David" wrote
    | Why has a thread entitled "Dress Code in London" become "dress
    | code in Harrods" ?

Because Sabyasachi mentioned Harrods in his original question and wer'e all
slavering over it like Pavlov's dogs.

    | Its pretty low down on my list of places to visit...

Mine too, but I have been there and was not impressed with the scruffy
clothes of the workmen dressing the beds department. Harrods could at least
have put them in some matching Harrods-green overalls.

    | In answer to the question, Dress Codes hardly exist in London outside
    | the rarified atmosphere of private clubs: which tourists are unlikely
    | to enter in a any case.

Why would private clubs have or need a dress code? They have a membership
list which is a far subtler and more effective way of keeping out
undesirables.

Owain

Alan Harrison

"David" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

    > In answer to the question, Dress Codes hardly exist in London outside
    > the rarified atmosphere of private clubs

There was a splendid example in the obituary of someone who spectacularly
expired of a heart attack just after consuming his beef Wellington at his
seventieth birthday party at (IIRC) the Athenaeum. As the corpse was
removed, a club servant asked the guest who had removed his jacket, while
vigorously thumping the dying man's chest in an attempt to revive him, to
put it back on.

Alan Harrison

The Reids

Following up to David Horne

    > No sneakers- I wasn't wearing any,

Did they have a "bare footing" rule?
No trainers/jeans is quite common in dodgy bars trying to raise
their abysmal standards by the wrong method. So if you find a
bouncer on the door with this sort of rule, you don't want to go
in anyway. I think footwear can be quite important, those people
who do make judgments on such things will look kinder on jeans
with leather shoes than jeans/trainers or (horror) trainers and
non jeans. In the latter case the style police may be called.
--
Mike Reid
"Art is the lie that reveals the truth" P.Picasso
Wasdale-Lake district-Thames path-London "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" <-- you can email us@ this site
Eat-walk-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" <-- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

David Horne

The Reids <[email protected]> wrote:

    > Following up to David Horne
    >
    > > No sneakers- I wasn't wearing any,
    >
    > Did they have a "bare footing" rule?
    > No trainers/jeans is quite common in dodgy bars trying to raise
    > their abysmal standards by the wrong method. So if you find a
    > bouncer on the door with this sort of rule, you don't want to go
    > in anyway. I think footwear can be quite important, those people
    > who do make judgments on such things will look kinder on jeans
    > with leather shoes than jeans/trainers or (horror) trainers and
    > non jeans. In the latter case the style police may be called.

It was specific to the shoes- I was wearing jeans, but had leather
shoes. Most of the people in the bar were 'dressed up'- women in
dresses, men dressed like penguins, smoking cigars.

David

--
David Horne- www.davidhorne.net
usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk

BrianE

jenn wrote:

    > BrianE wrote:
    >
    >> Sabyasachi Basu wrote:
    >>> I was reading up about London and came to know that certain
    >>> restaurants and even some stores like Harrods strictly enforce a dress
    >>> code. It made me wonder what would be a safe choice of clothes white
    >>> sightseeing on a weekend. I would hate to miss out on things like the
    >>> traditional tea in the afternoon because of "inappropriate" dress.
    >>> Sabyasachi
    >> You can pretty much where what you want.
    >> The harrods story sounds like BS to me.
    >> B.
    >
    >
    > don't know about harrods -- but in Victoria BC one cannot partake of tea
    > at the Empress Hotel unless properly dressed -- it wouldn't surprise me
    > if there was an occasional attempt to impose civilized standards in London

And tell us, what would be your criteria fo the imposition of 'civilised
standards'?

Are we a bit too 'Wild West' for you?

Good grief.

B

BrianE

Ken Wheatley wrote:

    > On Sun, 04 Jul 2004 12:41:39 +0100, BrianE
    > <[email protected]> wrote:
    >
    >
    >>Sabyasachi Basu wrote:
    >>>I was reading up about London and came to know that certain
    >>>restaurants and even some stores like Harrods strictly enforce a dress
    >>>code. It made me wonder what would be a safe choice of clothes white
    >>>sightseeing on a weekend. I would hate to miss out on things like the
    >>>traditional tea in the afternoon because of "inappropriate" dress.
    >>>Sabyasachi
    >>You can pretty much where what you want.
    >>The harrods story sounds like BS to me.
    >
    > Not quite. They will not permit backpacks, and they DO have a dress
    > code. But I doubt that it's too restrictive. Don't be outrageous and
    > you'll get in.

Makes sense..

B

Alec

"Padraig Breathnach" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > "Miss L. Toe" <[email protected]> wrote:
    > >
    > >"David" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > >news:[email protected]...
    > >> ... London is like anywhere else, just dress appropriately.
    > >>
    > >
    > >So whats the difference between dress appropiately and dress code ?
    > >
    > A dress code is explicit. Appropriate dress is not specified, so you
    > are less sure of what is acceptable.
Dress codes do exist. Many clubs and bars don't allow those wearing trainers
(sneakers), baseball caps (you can take it off) and football shirts (stop
fights between rival fans). A few high-class restaurants like the Ritz
insist on jacket and tie for men, though most just say 'smart casual',
sometimes 'no denim'. The Savoy Group (Connaught, Claridges, Savoy etc) have
recently removed the strict 'jacket and tie' requirement in their dining
rooms. Also some places ban children under 12 (or sometimes 15), esp for
dinner.

Alec